Vijayalakshmi, one of five accused in the Bengaluru daycare abuse case, was on Friday, 4 July 2025, remanded to 14 days of judicial custody by the 29th Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Court after her arrest on the basis of video evidence allegedly showing her assaulting toddlers at the Society General Baby Care Centre in Brookefield, Bengaluru. She has been lodged at the Bengaluru Central Prison.

Latest Developments in the Case

HAL Police have detained a second accused in the case, with arrest formalities expected to be completed shortly. Efforts are ongoing to trace the remaining absconding accused, police confirmed. A Special Investigation Team (SIT), comprising senior police officers, has been constituted to probe the case, and investigators are scrutinising CCTV footage and digital evidence from the premises.

Police have also seized the mobile phone of a daycare staff member identified as Sujata, who was removed from service and whose departure allegedly brought the abuse to light. Authorities are working to retrieve data from the device as part of the evidence-gathering process.

What the Complaint Alleges

The First Information Report (FIR), registered at HAL Police Station on the basis of a complaint by Tilakesh Kumar, a resident of K.R. Puram, invokes Section 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act. According to the complaint, the accused allegedly subjected toddlers to physical and mental abuse — including beating them, locking them inside bathrooms, intimidating them, placing them inside a washing machine to frighten them, forcing them to sit on a western-style toilet, and inserting a water pipe into their mouths.

The five accused have been identified as Manjula, Vijayalakshmi, Bhavani, Sindhu, and Bindu. Three staff members have already been questioned and directed to appear before police again, while statements have been recorded from parents of three children who attended the centre. In total, around eight to ten staff members have been questioned so far.

How the Case Came to Light

The alleged abuse surfaced after disturbing videos — purportedly showing toddlers being physically assaulted inside the daycare centre, which operates on the premises of a private firm in Brookefield — spread on social media and were forwarded to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC). Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh subsequently reviewed the footage and described the incident as 'serious' and 'heinous', ordering an immediate investigation.

Government Response and SOP Mandate

Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Friday asserted that the state government has a 'zero tolerance' approach towards crimes involving children and has sought a detailed report from the concerned department. Kharge stressed that background verification of daycare staff should have been conducted before their appointment — something that, he indicated, appears to have been overlooked in this case.

'We have zero tolerance regarding this incident. We have already sought information and clarification from the department. Reputed companies have guidelines and policies that are followed globally, not just in India. They must abide by them. Daycare centres and crèches will have to follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs),' Kharge said.

He added: 'They need to verify and conduct background checks on the staff. It appears that was not done. No matter which company it is, especially when it involves toddlers and children below five to ten years of age, much higher standards are expected from global companies.'

The investigation is ongoing, with police continuing to record witness statements and examine digital evidence as they work to establish the full sequence of events.